Lassoing toy



July 31, 1962 D. SACHS LASSOING TOY Filed May 22, 1961 INVENTOR. 0,4100JIM/l5 3,047,295 LASSOKNG TOY David Sachs, 3933 Topanga Canyon Lane,Malibu, Calif. Filed May 22, 1961, Ser. No. 111,633 9 Claims. (Cl.273-1) This invention relates to amusement toys and has as its generalobject to provide a toy which is operable to simulate the action of acowboy lassoing a running horse. A specific object of the invention isto provide such a toy which calls for skill on the part of the operatorin effecting the lassoing operation.

More specifically, the invention contemplates such a toy wherein aplurality of running horse figures are mounted upon the rim of arotatable platform which can be spun so as to effect a circular movementof the horse figures, simulating the running of horses past a cowboyfigure which is mounted in a fixed position with respect to the rotatingplatform.

A further object is to provide, in such a toy, a part simulating alasso, supported by an arm of the cowboy figure, which arm is movablevertically to lower the lasso into a position where the head of a movinghorse figure can be lassoed. A still further object is to provide, insuch a toy, means operable by the player for manipulating the lasso toand from the lassoing position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuingspecifications and appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a toy embodying the invention,taken through the center of the rotating platform;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, with a portion of the cowboyfigure shown in horizontal section as indicated by line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the central hub assemblyof the device; and

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional View of the torso of the cowboy figure.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown therein, as anexample of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a toy,fabricated largely of stamped sheet metal (or sheet plastic material)embodying generally a base A adapted to rest on a horizontal supportingsurface, a platform B rotatably mounted on the base A, a mounted cowboyfigure C mounted on the base A in a fixed position, and a plurality ofrunning horse figures D mounted on the rim of platform B.

The base A comprises a cylindrical skirt having a beaded rim 11 forengaging a supporting surface 12 and having a top panel 13 in the formof a circular disc (preferably flat). In the center thereof is adownwardly projecting boss 14.

Referring now to FIG. 4 in connection with FIG. 1, a tubular pedestal 16is secured at its lower end in boss 14 and projects upwardly into thecowboy figure C. At its upper end, it has a neck 17 of reduced diameterjoined to the body thereof by an annular offset shoulder 18 providing athrust bearing race. Secured to the upper end of reduced neck 17 is ahat section 19 extending downwardly and terminating in a radialperipheral flange 20, providing a support for the mounted cowboy figureC. Hat section 19 is functionally integral with neck 17 but 3,047,295Patented July 31, 1962 to facilitate fabrication, it is shown as beingformed as a separate part, secured thereto as indicated.

Platform B comprises a circular disc body 22 having at its center atubular hub 23 projecting upwardly and terminating at its upper end inan inturned radial flange 24 (FIG. 4) overhanging the bearing raceshoulder 18 of pedestal 16. Interposed between the flange 24 and theshoulder 18 are a series of bearing balls 25 providing an anti-frictionend-thrust bearing upon which the platform B is supported for freespinning rotation.

Mounted upon the rim of platform 22 are the running horse figures D,which may be of fabricated sheet metal construction or hollow moldedplastic structure in accordance with well-known techniques utilized infabricating toy figures. Each of the horse figures D has legs 27attached to the platform 22 and a head 28 projecting forwardly. Theheads 28 are raised sufficiently to be extended substantiallyhorizontally to facilitate the lassoing operation, and are offsetradially inwardly from the bodies of the respective horses so that, ifin an attempted lassoing maneuver, the lasso loop 35 misses a head 28,it will not strike against the body of the horse figure D.

The mounted cowboy figure C comprises a hollow standing horse figure 30of fabricated sheet metal or molded hollow plastic material having atubular belly portion including an underneath wall which is providedwith a circular aperture 31 rotatably receiving the hat section 19 ofthe pedestal 16 and supported upon the hat section flange 20 with alight frictional engagement which provides a braking action forarresting rotation as hereinafter described. Mounted upon the horsefigure 30 is the vertical, hollow torso 32 of a seated cowboy figure,the lower end of torso 32 being open and in communication with thehollow interior of horse figure 30. Pivotally mounted upon a shoulderportion of torso 32 is an arm 33 which is normally extended horizontallyas indicated in FIG. 1. Secured in the end of the arm 33 is a straightlength of spring wire 34 terminating in a loop 35 simulating a lasso.The loop 35 is positioned at the same radius from the center of the toyas the heads 28 of the running horse figures D, the heads 28 beingpositioned at a common radius (though not necessarily at the sameheight).

The arm 32 is secured to the outer end of a pivot shaft 36 which extendstransversely through the cowboy torso 32 and is journalled in suitablebearings therein. Within the hollow torso 32, a short lever arm 37 issecured to pivot shaft 36 and projects forwardly (FIG. 5) in the samedirection as the arm 33. Pivoted to the forward end of lever arm 37 isan actuator stem 38 which extends downwardly and is joined to a push rod39 which is vertically slidable in the tubular body of'pedestal 16. Thelower end of actuator stem 38 is rotatably mounted inv a cylindricalsocket 49 in the upper end of push rod 39. The lower end of push rod 39is pivoted, at 40, to an actuator lever 41 disposed within the hollowspace defined by base A. One end of lever 41 is connected by a pivot 42to a bracket 43 secured to base skirt 10, and the other end-of the lever41 projects through a vertical slot 44 in the opposite side of skirt 10.A compression spring 45,

.mounted at its lower end to a horizontal mounting tab 46 secured to theskirt 10 and projecting inwardly therefrom, has its upper end attachedto and supporting the lever 41 with a yielding support which permits thelever to be pushed downwardly. A button 47 on the outer end 3 of lever41 is positioned for engagement by the fingertip of the player.

In playing with the toy, the player engages one of the running horsefigures D with a finger or fingers of one hand and gives it a sharp pushto spin the platform B, in a clockwise direction as indicated by thearrow 50 in FIG. 2. The heads 28 of the running horse figures D are allfacing forward with reference to this direction of rotation of theplatform B. The player then manipulates the lever 41, pressing itdownwardly as a running horse figure D approaches the vertical plane ofloop 35. The object of the operation is to move the loop downwardly inthis plane to a position immediately in front of the head 28 of anapproaching horse figure D so that the head 28 will enter the loop 35,thus lassoing the horse.

The lasso element 34, 35, is of spring wire (e.g. piano wire) andsufficiently flexible so that the spinning momentum of the platform Bwill be absorbed with a cushioning action which arrests the rotation ofthe platform without damaging the structure of the toy. Morespecifically, as the head 28 of a horse is caught in the lasso loop 35,the lasso member 34 will be bowed circumferentially in the direction ofspinning movement of the platform, and as the resistance of the lassomember to the bowing action is increased with the circumferentialdeflection of the lasso member, rotation will be transmitted to themounted cowboy figure C and will be absorbed by frictional brakingaction of the under wall of the belly portion of the horse body 30against the supporting flange 20 of hat section 19, until the platformcomes to rest. At the same time, the link 38, rotating with the mountedcowboy figure C, will rotate in the socket in the push rod 39.

Although the cowboy figure is shown and described herein as ahorse-mounted figure, it will be understood that it could as well be astanding cowboy figure without a horse, with the torso thereof mountedon the hat section 19 of the pedestal in a manner analogous to thatdisclosed herein. Other changes may be made in the apparatus hereindisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention and it ismy intention to cover by my claims all modified forms equivalent to thatdisclosed and described specifically herein.

I claim:

1. In a lassoing toy: a base having a pedestal rising from the centerthereof; a platform rotatably mounted upon said pedestal for rotationabove said base and having a running horse figure mounted thereon nearits periphery for movement in a circular orbital path with its headprojecting forwardly, a lassoing figure mounted upon said pedestal abovesaid platform, said figure including an arm pivotally attached theretoon a horizontal axis for movement in a vertical plane, and a lassoelement attached to said arm, projecting generally radially over saidplatform and terminating in a lasso loop disposed in a generallyvertical plane, normally above the head of said running horse figure butmovable downwardly in a position to receive said head as said horsefigure moves in said orbital path; said arm being adapted to be movedvertically by a player to manipulate said lasso loop into said positionto receive said running horse head.

2. A toy as defined in claim 1, including means for manipulating saidlasso element, said means comprising an actuator stem connected to saidarm and extending downwardly through said lassoing figure to a pointbeneath said base; and an actuator lever pivoted at one end to one sideof said base, having a connection between its central portion and thelower end of said actuator stem, and having an opposite end projectingthrough the opposite side of said base for engagement by a player.

3. A toy as defined in claim 2, including spring means yieldinglybiasing said actuator lever upwardly to normally maintain said lassoelement in its normal raised position.

4. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein the head of said running horsefigure is offset radially inwardly from the body thereofv 5. A lassoingtoy comprising: a base including a peripheral skirt portion adapted torest on a supporting surface and a tubular pedestal rising from thecenter of said base; a rotatable platform including a flat horizontalplatform body and a tubular sleeve portion extending upwardly from thecenter thereof around said pedestal; a thrust hearing providing arotatable support for the upper end of said tubular sleeve portion uponthe upper end of said pedestal, said pedestal having a reduced neckportion projecting upwardly from its said upper end through said thrustbearing; a lassoing cowboy figure having a body portion supported uponsaid neck portion of said pedestal, having an arm pivoted to said bodyportion for swinging movement in a vertical plane, and having a lassoelement secured to the outer end of said arm, projecting generallyradially above said platform and terminating in a lasso loop disposed ina generally vertical plane, said platform having a running horse figuresupported thereon near its periphery and having a forwardly andgenerally horizontally projecting head adapted to enter said lasso loopwhen the latter is lowered; and operator means for manipulating said armportion of said lassoing figure to lower said lasso element to bringsaid loop into position to be entered by said running horse head.

6. A toy as defined in claim 5, including a rotatable, frictionalbraking connection between said lassoing cowboy figure and said pedestalwhereby said cowboy figure may normally remain in a fixed position butmay rotate with said platform to absorb the momentum thereof when saidlasso element is engaged by said running horse figure.

7. A toy as defined in claim 6, wherein said lasso element is ofresilient wire, adapted to flex circumferentially to absorb the initialimpact of the running horse figure against said lasso loop.

8. In a lassoing toy: a generally drum-shaped base including acylindrical skirt having a rim adapted to rest upon a horizontalsupporting surface, a generally fiat top member, and a tubular pedestalsecured in the center of said top member and rising therefrom; arotatable platform including a generally flat circular platform bodydisposed immediately above said top member and a tubular sleeve portionrising from the center of said body around said pedestal and terminatingat its upper end in an inturned bearing flange, said pedestal having atits upper end a reduced tubular neck and an offset annular bearingshoulder joining the same to the body portion, said neck projectingupwardly from said shoulder; end thrust bearing means interposed betweensaid inturned flange and said annular shoulder for mounting saidplatform for rotation around said pedestal and above said base; a hatsection including a top portion secured to the upper end of said reducedneck and a body portion extending downwardly around the upper endportion of said platform sleeve and terminating at its lower end in aradially outwardly projecting supporting flange; a lassoing figurehaving a wall provided with a circular aperture receiving said hatsection and resting upon said flange for rotation of said lassoingfigure upon said pedestal with a frictional braln'ng action normallyholding said lassoing figure stationary.

9. In a lassoing toy: a generally drum-shaped base including acylindrical skirt having a rim adapted to rest upon a horizontalsupporting surface, a generally flat top member, and a tubular pedestalsecured in the center of said top member and rising therefrom; arotatable platform including a generally flat circular platform bodydisposed immediately above said top member and a tubular sleeve portionrising from the center of said body around said pedestal and terminatingat its upper end in an inturned bearing flange, said pedestal having atits upper end a reduced tubular neck and an offset annular bearingshoulder joining the same to the body portion, said neck projectingupwardly from said shoulder; end thrust bearing means interposed betweensaid inturned flange and said annular shoulder for mounting saidplatform for rotation around said pedestal and above said base; a hatsection including a top portion secured to the upper end of said reducedneck and a body portion extending downwardly around the upper endportion of said platform sleeve and terminating at its lower end in aradially outwardly projecting supporting flange; a mounted lassoingfigure including a body portion simulating a standing horse, having ahollow belly section with a lower wall provided with a circular aperturereceiving said hat section and resting upon said flange for rotation ofsaid lassoing figure upon said pedestal with a frictional braking actionnormally holding said lassoing figure stationary, said lassoing figurefurther including a 5 cowboy torso portion rising from said hollow body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,464,261 Ripley Mar. 15, 1949

